Our Fitness Blog

Why the ABC's of Fitness Are So Important

When a plan comes together it’s a beautiful thing. But, often we get in our own way simply by overcomplicating the plan. While we all love mixing up our fitness exercises, you don’t want to mix up your plan. Consistency can seem like it might get monotonous, but it’s what works.

What’s NOT monotonous? RESULTS.

Be motivated by the fact that by sticking to the plan and not switching it up too frequently, and keeping to the basics, you are serving yourself the best. It takes mental fortitude to keep on keeping on.

The basic ABC’s of fitness are:

Exercising

Eating

Planning

We need to be steady in sticking to this and not be all over the place, constantly starting a new plan and abandoning our basics, therefore going back to square one. Remember, you didn’t gain weight overnight, you won’t lose it overnight either.

Patience is the secret. Faith that your plan works is what will keep you going.

So, let’s examine the 3 ABC’s of fitness in a bit more detail:

Exercising: No matter who you are, you need a schedule that makes sense for you. My philosophy is beginners should schedule 3 days a week for working out and advanced level folks should plan 5-6 days. Right off the bat, many beginners want to skip the 3 day plan and go straight for 6 days a week. I do not suggest this because 99.9% of the time a beginner will keep this plan up for two weeks and then fall off the wagon, and fall HARD! It is not effective to go 6 days a week for two weeks and then workout one day a week for the next three weeks because of exhaustion and extreme soreness. Better to stick to an achievable plan consistently, than NOT to execute an aggressive plan at all! Trust the process and start smart. Schedule your days and do not deviate!

Eating: Eating right only works if you do it 99% of the time. You cannot be a diet hopper, trying the new ‘fad’ supplement (raspberry ketones, fish oil, green tea, white tea, green coffee, garcinia cambogia, Acai berries, etc) or low carb, high fat, low fat, sugar free, wheat free, the less than 5 ingredients per meal diet, etc…. You need to adopt a healthy, right, balanced way of eating, and then…..STICK to it!

It’s actually pretty EASY if you trust in it. But, guess what? THINGS THAT ARE EASY TO DO ARE ALSO EASY NOT TO DO! Prime example: It’s easy to drink 8 glasses of water a day, but it’s also very easy NOT to do! Right?

In my experience the ONLY way to eat right for life, (meaning, not a short term crash diet that can only be followed for a short time before you lose units and quit) is 9Round Nutrition, which is of course, why we have made it the official 9Round way of eating. I have followed this for years and so does my husband. This program is so simple that many people say, “Am I missing something? That’s it?” Well, yeah! It is simple. Carbs, protein, and fat together in the correct proportion, at every meal and snack, every 2.5-3.5 hours, every day….There are a few more guidelines obviously, but the basics are so, well, BASIC, that many people are left scratching their heads. It’s almost like if it doesn’t sound really “out there” then people often think it won’t be effective. Trust me, it takes laser like focus and discipline to stick to this SIMPLE way of eating. Which leads me right into…

Planning: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”…sorry to be cheesy. It really does make all the difference to plan your foods. What does that look like? It means each night you are getting your meals portioned out to take to work, as well as snacks. It means, you have a million small Tupperware containers in a drawer handy. It means you are prepping at home and dicing and chopping and that you have a lunchbox you carry everywhere. It means you have a gallon of water on your desk that you pour from all day. It means you are NEVER unsure of what you’re eating! That way you don’t make a bad choice in a moment of hunger…stale donut anyone?

When you go to the grocery store always have your staples like chicken breast (I buy a large bag of individually frozen chicken tenderloins so I can keep them fresh until I need them) and other lean proteins, as well as stock up on your fruit and veggies. Grab your whole grains, and other complex carbs as well as your healthy fats like low fat cheeses, olive oils and my FAV: peanut butter! Yes!, and then pick one day to prep all your lunches and snacks. This sets your week up for success, especially 3 or 4 days into it, when our energy can tend to get a little lower and our motivation can go down as well as our discipline. Prepping for these moments is everything.

Don’t even purchase your trigger foods. If it’s not in the house you won’t eat it at night! Keep out the temptations like wine, beer, sweets, French fries, etc and you’re giving yourself a gift=lack of temptation!

Lastly, remember, it’s the consistent combo of these 3 things long term that truly makes for a major shift in your fitness and how you look and feel. It’s also very important to remember that all of this is TOTALLY WORTH it! When you feel great in your skin, there’s no better feeling in the world!

Heather Hudson has been with 9Round since inception in 2008 and is COO and Co-Founder of 9Round Franchising. She is a black belt in Shotokan Karate and grew up with a passion for fitness and overall wellness.